Industry News

Dr. David Sarver—founder of The Sarver Institute, an online continuing education membership platform for orthodontic and dental specialists—has announced the faculty appointment of Dr. Brandon Owen. Sarver, who has more than 40 years of experience in private practice and orthodontic education, recently launched the institute with Jeff Behan of VisionTrust Communications.

Owen, an ABO-certified orthodontist, has more than 15 years of practice experience and lectures internationally on lingual and digital orthodontics and TMD. He is involved in three research projects with the University of Alberta, and is the CEO and founder of KLOwen Custom Braces. He owns several patents, including the Owen Tripod Splint, repositioning software and bracket pad extension.

LightForce Orthodontics, makers of a customizable 3D-printed bracket system, has appointed former Amazon executive Kelly Cunning Riedel as its first chief operating officer. Reporting directly to company CEO and founder Dr. Alfred Griffin III, Riedel will function as LightForce’s second in command, with responsibilities including manufacturing and production operations, supply chain and logistics, doctor success and customer service, information technology and information services.

From 2013 to 2021, Riedel was a senior member of the executive team at Amazon Robotics, working as head of legal and then director of global operations. Her accomplishments included managing operations across five different product design centers with 100-plus suppliers across four continents and launching a 350,000-square-foot innovation hub.

Smile Doctors, an orthodontics-focused dental support organization, announced its affiliation with nine practice groups in seven U.S. states during the second quarter of 2021. The addition of a practice in Maryland represents the organization’s first move into the state, bringing the total number of states served to 23 and total locations to 258.

Since January, Smile Doctors has affiliated with a total of 36 locations.

For more information, visit smiledoctorspartners.com.